Carpet-stretcher



(No Model.)

W. W. PATTERSON. CARPET STRETOHER.

No. 451,571. Patented May 5, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM PATTERSON, OF AUSTIN, MINNESOTA.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,571, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed June 11, 1890. Serial No. 355,039. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WV. PATTER- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Mower and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oarpet-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide a carpet-stretcher which is simple in construction, so that it maybe cheaply manufactured, and which is powerful and efficient in action. To this end I provide a holding-bar which has at its forward end a downturned prong and near its center an upwardly-extending projection, preferably consisting of flanges, between which is pivoted an operating-lever having near its fulcrum a pivotal connection with arms extending rearward from a toothed stretching plate or jaw, the latter being provided with a loop embracing the forward end of the holding-bar and serving as a guide for the said stretching plate or jaw. The downturned prong or sharpened portion of the holding-bar is driven slightly into the floor when the carpet is to be stretched. The pivotal point of the operating-lever is of sufflcient height above the body of the holding bar to permit the said lever to be turned down forward far enough to bring the pivotal connections of the arms therewith below the fulcrum of the said lever, so that when the said lever is turned down forward it will be automatically locked, thus dispensing with the use of ratchet-bars and locking-pawls heretofore used in other devices of this char acter.

I11 the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved carpetstretcher. Fig.2 is a side view thereof, showing the movable parts in different positions in full and dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the stretching plate or jaw and its arms.

A denotes the holding-bar, provided at its forward end with a downturned prong a, the said holding-bar having near its center a raised projection consisting, preferably, of flanges b integral with the said bar. Between the said flanges b, on a suitable bolt or pivot c, is pivoted the operating-lever B, havingnear its fulcrum an offset portion or projection consisting, preferably, of the flanges Z).

O is the toothed stretching-jaw provided with two rearward-extended arms 0', the extreme rear ends 0 of which are turned sharply about at right angles to said arms and are extended through the flanges b of the lever B, the said ends 0 forming pivotal connections of the said arms with the said lever.

In practice my improved carpet-stretcher will be made of cast malleable iron, and will consist merely of three parts beside the bolt or pivot for the operating-lever. The flanges of the holding-bar and operating-leverare formed integral therewith, and the arms 0 of the stretching jaw or plate and the loop don the latter are also formed integral with the said jaw or plate, the said loop serving as a guide for the said stretching-plate on the said holding-bar. The upward projection on the holding-bar for-med by the flanges 1) enables the fulcrum of the lever B to be raised high enough above the body of the said bar, so that when the said lever is turned down forward tothe position shown in full lines in Fig. 2

the pivotal connection of the arms 0' with the said lever will be slightly below the lever-fulcrum, and when the said lever is thus turned forward it will be automatically locked in this position, as the tension of the carpet on the teeth of the stretching-jaw will have a tendency to force the lever down as soon as it is turned forward far enough, so that said pivotal connection of the said arms with the said lever comes slightly below the fulcrum of the latter. The ends 0 of the arms ,0 are disconnected from each other, so that they may be entered into the apertures in the flanges b merely by springing them apart slightly, and as the said arms are preferably formed integral with the stretching-plate C it is obvious that this part of my device may be very cheaply constructed.

In the operation of my device the prong a of the holding-bar A is driven slightly into the floor adjacent to the mop-board or position to be occupied by the edge of the carpet, and the operating-lever is then turned back as far as may be necessaryto enable the teeth of the holding jaw or plate to have any desired engagement with the carpet. The said lever is then turned forward to the position denoted by full lines in Fig. 2, and when in such position, with the pivotal connections of the arms 0 below the fulcrum-point c of the said lever, the holding jaw or plate is automatically locked in position to hold the earpet stretched, as hereinbefore described. To bring the edge of the carpet up closely to the mop-board, the entire device should now be swung laterally slightly in either direction on the pivotaifordedby the pron gaof the holdingbar, and thus one portion of the carpet held by the stretching-plate may first be brought up closely to the mop-board and tacked, and then the stretching-plate be swung slightly laterally, and the other portion of the carpet held by said plate may be brought up to position.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my improved stretcher, consisting, as it does, of only three parts besides the pivot or bolt for the operating-lever, may be very cheaply constructed, while the relative arrangement of the parts shown and described provides a device which is powerful in action and which will perform its work eiiiciently without danger of breakage.

I am aware thatearpet-stretchers have heretofore been proposed somewhat. similar to mine, in that a stretching jaw or plate has been operated by a lever connected to aholding-frame, such as is shown by United States Patent No. 326,063, and I am also aware that it is not new to construct a carpet-stretcher with a single holding-bar having a downturned prong at its forward end and on which bar a stretching device actuated by an operating-lever is guided, such a device being shown by United States Patent No. 328,658; but in the device shown by the former patent there was no such relative arrangement of the fulcrum of the operating-lever to the pivotal connection of the arms of the stretching jaw or plate as would enable the latter to be automatically locked in its stretched position without the use of pawls and ratchets, as is done in my device, and in the latter patent the stretching device was not so arranged as to engage the carpet close to its edge, and thus hold the edge firmly near where the tacks were to be driven, as is done by myimproved stretcher, in which the stretchingplate is forward of the fulcrum of the operating-lever and in close proximity to the prong of the holding-bar.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Acarpet-stretcherconsisting of the combination, with the holding-bar A, having the downturned spur or prong aand the upwardly-extending flanges b, of the operating-lever l5, pivoted between said flanges and havingncar its fulcrum an offset portion or projection, and the toothed stretching-plate 0, arranged forward of the fulcrum of the said lever and near the said prong a, said plate being provided with the rearward-extending arms 0', converging toward each other and having at their rear ends the int-urned portions 0 adjacent to each other, but adapted to be sprung apart to be entered into openings provided therefor in the said flanges 7;,substantiallyas set forth.

I11 testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM W. PAT ERSON.

Witnesses:

EwELL A. DICK, IIENRY CALVER. 

